


Tale As Old As Time

by a_cumberbatch



Series: Disney Destiel Collection [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Disney Movies, Disney Parody, M/M, Prince Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 07:20:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17658455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_cumberbatch/pseuds/a_cumberbatch
Summary: A tale as old as time, but not quite like you remember.





	Tale As Old As Time

_Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?_

•••

Castiel walked through his small town, completely absorbed in his book. He was unaware of the stares that followed him, the ones from the other townspeople who couldn't quite understand him. He was too strange for them, as he was the only son of the eccentric writer who lived on the edge of the town. The girls all fawned over him, yet Castiel had no interest in them or their desires to marry him. The men all shunned him because he would rather read and spend time with his crazy father than hunt or drink with them. Everyone had their opinions about him, but Castiel never minded them. He enjoyed the books the tiny shop offered and was content with his life.

Finishing the last page of his book, he closed it with a sigh. He was content, at least, until he could move to Paris and start attending university where he could learn more than this town and its few books could offer. Until then, it was time for him to check out yet another book.

Just as he was nearing his favorite- and the only- bookshop, he caught sight of Crowley, which meant Meg was surely nearby. Crowley followed that woman around like a lost puppy, yet that was how the entire town acted around her. She was the most beautiful, most interesting woman the town had ever seen. She could drink as much as any man and could rival any hunter, yet the townspeople could except her eccentricities because she wanted what all the women wanted in the town: a family. She wanted to settle down and have a house full of children. Every other man was tripping over themselves to marry her. Yet she was focused on Castiel. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why. All he knew was that Meg wouldn't be seen in the bookshop, so it was the perfect place to hide from Crowley and inevitably Meg.

"Bonjour Monsieur," Castiel greeted to the bookshop keeper who was sitting behind the front desk. "Anything new for today?"

"Ah bonjour. No, no, nothing new." He sighed. "You were in here just yesterday, Castiel."

"I know, but I already finished this one." Castiel pointed to the small shelves filled with books he's read all before. "May I?"

"Of course, but you've seen them all before."

"This is all I have until Paris, and I can't simply not read until Papa can afford university. Rereading is better than no reading at all."

The shopkeeper shook his head in amusement. "And how is Monsieur Shurley?" There was some hesitation in his voice, but he masked it better than the other townspeople. They all saw Castiel's papa as the strange Englishman who moved to the French countryside to write his books and teach his only son to live an unacceptable life.

"He's doing well. This very afternoon he's riding to Paris to publish his latest book."

"You said that last time, yet all your papa did was waste your university savings on a trip that got him nowhere."

Castiel finally found the book he was looking for. It was a love story about an Englishman and a Frenchwoman. It always reminded him of his mama and papa, so he's read it many, many times. "This one will be the one, though, Monsieur. I know it."

The shopkeeper saw what book Castiel was bringing, so he held up a hand. "You don't have to check that one out. Just keep it since you love it so much. And good luck to you and Monsieur Shurley."

"Thank you, but we don't need luck." Castiel pushed open the old wooden door. "I can feel that everything is about to change. Have a nice day."

And so Castiel set back out into the town. He hummed to himself as he navigated through the surprisingly busy streets without looking up from his book, just as he did every day. Life had become a routine for the poor young man who only wanted something to come along and change things up. He wanted to break out of the monotony of the day to day village life and go do something great, something exciting. Little did he know, something- or shall we say, someone- was about to do just that. Only it wasn't in a way that he expected.

Almost to the path that led out of the town and to his father's little cottage, Castiel's book was snatched from his hands. "Across the Channel," a woman's voice read as she closed the book to see the cover. Castiel tried to protest and take back the book, yet Meg was slightly quicker than he was and talked right over him. "How quaint. Let's see. France... love between... blah blah blah... will he find her before... Castiel," she sighed, "why read about love when you can find it right in front of you? I've told you-"

"And I've told you that I'm not interested in courting anyone. You can't find love like that." He took back the book. "It finds you. And I know for certain that love will not find me here in this provincial town. Good day."

Meg pulled on Castiel's shirt to stop him. In fact, it worked so well that his white shirt was pulled from his trousers and about came unbuttoned. Completely shocked, Castiel paused to fix his appearance before someone saw them together. Who knew what sort of rumors would spread if they saw Castiel's clothes undone on the lonely path that went through the woods? Especially if they saw Meg who had obviously just been from a hunt and looked as if she was rolling in a bush a moment before. "Now that I have your attention."

"Meg, I don't understand why you can't chase after another man in this town. Maybe one who actually wants to court someone."

Meg grabbed Castiel's hands that were still straightening his clothes. "Because there's no one in town as handsome as you. And shouldn't the most beautiful woman be by the side of the best looking man in town?"

"Not if that man is me. I must ask you to stop advancing on me like this. It's highly inappropriate."

"When have you ever cared about what society thinks?"

Castiel didn't know what to say to that. It was true that he didn't care much about the townspeople's opinions, but he also wanted Meg to find someone else to court. "I need to see my papa off to Paris. I'm sure you have places to be as well, so I must bid you adieu."

He was sure Meg would follow him all the way to his cottage, but she surprisingly walked back to the town. Castiel breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't believe that worked. Luckily, he was on his own to walk into his home to find his papa fumbling through his workroom in a rush.

"Papa?" Castiel asked, uncertain if he could even hear him. "Is everything alright?"

For a while, Chuck Shurley didn't look up from the drawers he was tearing through. Then he must have caught a glimpse of his son, and he quickly composed himself. "Castiel, you're home already. I- I thought you'd be at town much longer. I expected to have, uh, everything packed before you got back."

"What are you missing, Papa?"

"I seemed to misplace my favorite riding cloak and, um, my manuscript," he finished quietly.

Castiel only laughed. His papa would lose his head if it wasn't connected to his body. He went into his papa's bedroom and returned with the cloak. It was always hanging up under his winter coat, yet he always forgot where he last put it.

"But my manuscript-"

"In your satchel."

"Where is-"

"By the door on the coat rack. I also packed you some food for the travel and some hay and a sugar cubes for Gabriel. Make sure you don't give him too many, though; that horse is already spoiled enough."

Chuck pulled Castiel in a hug, then held him at arm's length for a moment. "My son, have I told you how much I love you?"

"Every day, Papa."

"And how proud I am to call you my son?"

"Yes, Papa."

"And that if your mama was alive today, she would be amazed at the man you've become?" He stopped, just looking into his son's eyes. "You look more and more like her each day."

Castiel's face softened into a smile. "Of course, Papa. Now you must be going or you'll be late."

Chuck laughed. "You even sound like her!" He went to retrieve his satchel, then put his cloak on. "Every day it was _Chuck, you are forgetting your cloak. Chuck, you need to eat. My love, we need to leave soon. Darling, your son is covered in your ink._ "

"Papa! If you keep this conversation going, it will be dark by the time you set off for Paris."

"It's almost as if you want the house to yourself for the week. Do you have plans that I don't know of, son?"

"Just to read. Now, go before I go to Paris for you."

Chuck put a hand to Castiel's cheek. "I will see you by the end of the week."

"Be careful, Papa."

And then the cottage was quiet. Except for the low clucking of the chickens in the pen and the bubbling of the creek outside, the air was calm and still. Castiel could finally relax into his chair and read his favorite book by the fire. He was completely happy in those hours as pages blended into each other and he forgot he was even reading. Everything was perfect. Until-

Castiel sighed. "What did Papa forget now?" he mumbled to himself as he went to answer the knock at the door. "It's almost dark and you- Meg? What are you doing here?" He looked past her to where a large crowd was gathered in the meadow. There was even a small band being led by Crowley that was getting ready to play. "And what are they doing here?"

"Castiel, I know you said that you aren't looking for a courtship. And if anyone would have a relationship so unconventional, it would be you. So keeping that in mind, I have just one thing to say." Meg cued to Crowley, who started the band in a slow, romantic ballad. She bent down to one knee and took Castiel's hand. "Will you marry me?" Castiel took his hand back quickly, backing up a step. "Let's forget all the courtship nonsense and just settle down together. We're perfect together, and everyone knows this. What do you say?"

"No."

The band stopped abruptly. The crowd looked very uneasy. "I'm sorry?"

"No, I'm sorry. I won't marry you, Meg." Castiel looked around to the townspeople who were confused and angry. They wanted marry Meg so badly that they were angry Castiel rejected her. "I- I'm sorry."

With Meg still kneeling, he closed the door. He pressed his hand to his mouth to keep him from screaming until everyone left. Then Castiel ran out the back door to the edge of the meadow where he would frequently go to think. He looked up to the sky, shaking his head. "Mama, what am I going to do? If you were here, I'm sure you would know the answer, but I'm so lost. I don't want to marry Meg... or any other woman. But what choice do I have? Should I just marry her to appease everyone?" Castiel closed his eyes, and it was almost as if he could here his mama speaking. "No, of course not. But what was she thinking? How could she ask me to marry her? Can you believe that? What was she expecting?" He put on a fake French accent. "Madame Shurley, my little wife? Pfft." His voice returned to normal. "There has to be more to life than this. More than a boring town filled with boring people who can't accept us as we are. You told me about your adventures when I was young. All those places and people. You told me about meeting Papa and falling in love. And- I want my adventure in the great wide... somewhere. I want it more than I can tell. And I just wish someone understood that, Mama." Castiel watched the sun set over the French countryside, quietly humming to himself.

Finally starting to calm down, he went back to the cottage. "I just wish-" Castiel thought he heard something, so he stopped to listen closer. "Gabriel?" Castiel gasped when the golden horse came charging into the meadow. "Where's Papa? What happened?" He looked around, trying to figure out what to do. No one in the town would help him, not after everything with Meg. If he was going to find his papa, Castiel would have to do it on his own. "Come on, Gabriel, take me to Papa."

•••

It was dark by the time they reached the old iron gate that lead... somewhere. It was too dark for Castiel could see what exactly the large building was that they were walking toward. The gate was open, and two sets of prints from Gabriel's hooves went through the entryway. The stubborn horse wouldn't go any further, so Castiel tied him to the gate before wandering into the building. It looked deserted, but Castiel swore he could hear voices coming from one of the staircases. When he got closer, he realized there was a light at the top too.

"Hello?" Castiel called. "I'm just looking for my papa. I- I'm sorry to intrude, but I'm worried about him. I was wondering if you've seen him." The voices stopped, and the light went out. "Hello?" He decided to go up the winding staircase, despite the poor lighting in the tower. He kept one hand on the cold stone wall as he went up the stairs, listening for any signs of life. "Hello?"

"Castiel?" He let out a sigh. "Thank God. Papa, what happened? Where are you?" A hand stuck out from what looked like a cell door. Castiel quickly made his way to the hand, grasping it tightly. "You're so cold. We have to-"

"You need to leave," his papa rushed out over his son's worries. "There's something terrible here, and you need to go before it gets you too. This place is- it's haunted. There are spirits- evil spirits- possessing objects and some kind of monster. Castiel, my son, you have to leave now."

"Not without you. How do I-" Suddenly, Castiel was pulled from the door, and he slid across the room.

"Why are you here?" a growling voice demanded. "What could you possibly want?"

"My papa. He went missing, and I just want him home. Who are you? Why is he locked up?"

"He trespassed in my castle, so he needs to atone for his crime."

Castiel tried to make out the shape moving in the darkness, but the master of the castle was avoiding all light. "He's sick. Please, just let me take him home."

"You can't just take a prisoner. He must pay for trespassing on royal ground."

 _Royal ground?_ Castiel thought. Aloud, he said, "He will die if he stays in this cell. Please, I'll do anything. I'll... I'll take his place. His crime will be paid, and his life will be spared."

"Castiel, no," Chuck said.

"Will you let him go if I took his place?"

"Yes, but you must stay for his whole sentence."

Castiel let out a shaky breath. "Yes, of course. Just let my papa go."

A voice from the shadows spoke up, one that wasn't the master's. "You should punish them both. Isn't that how things work around here? One person does something wrong, so everyone around them gets punished?"

A different voice, a lighter one, hushed the first. "Benjamin, now is not the time. Why does it matter who is prisoner?"

"Because, Adam, we shouldn't be cursed for all of eternity because this-"

"QUIET!" the master yelled, silencing the other two. "You will take this man to the courtyard and ensure he doesn't return. And I won't hear another word from either of you about him or his son. Understood?"

Two mumbled replies came from the corner, followed by a strange combination of something hitting the stone floor. It almost sounded like the men were wearing tap shoes and wooden clogs. How peculiar.

But Castiel didn't think much on it. He was too focused on his papa who was reaching for him in the darkness. They barely brushed skin before Castiel was pushed into the cell and the door closed behind him. In that moment, Castiel saw a flash of what looked like a clawed hand- or perhaps a paw?- covered in fur. "I didn't even even say goodbye to him. How could you just lock me away without giving me a chance to say goodbye?"

"Are- are you crying?"

"Yes!" Castiel snapped. "That was my papa! How would you feel if your only family was taken from you and you knew you'd never see them again?"

The master was quiet for a moment. "I actually know exactly how you feel."

Castiel felt a pang in his chest, immediately stamping that guilt down. The master should be the guilty one, not him. He was the one keeping him prisoner, after all. "Who are you?" Castiel demanded. "You said this was a castle, but I've never heard of a castle this close to my village."

"That doesn't matter," the master said quickly. He was obviously hiding something. "But my name is Dean."

"The Beast," one of the voices scoffed. The two other people must have been back. The wooden sound was back, getting louder as the lower voice came closer. "Shall we show him why we call you that, Dean?"

The other voice hissed, "Benjamin, don't frighten the poor boy."

"Why do you care about him?" Benjamin laughed dryly. "Can't you see that this is hopeless? No matter what we do, we are stuck like this forever. Because of the Beast."

The wooden tapping faded, but the metallic sound remained. "I apologize, your majesty. I will have Mrs. Harvelle begin dinner for you. And we will bring something up for the prisoner later." A flame was sparked in the darkness, and Castiel swore he saw a candelabra moving on its own. Is that what his papa meant by evil spirits? He also saw another flash of fur, dirty blond in some spots and dark brunet in others.

As the metallic clicking, or the candelabra if Castiel wasn't going insane, faded, Castiel cleared his throat. He decided to calm his anger and fear, pushing aside all the names he wanted to call Dean. Instead, he used the title the man with the candelabra used. "Your majesty? Who are you really? If I'm stuck here, I think I have a right to know."

"Once upon a time, I was... part of a royal family."

"And now? What did that man mean by the Beast?" There was no response, which only heightened Castiel's curiosity. "Please... Dean. Just come into the light."

The prison door slowly opened and a large shadow moved closer to Castiel until it was visible in the moonlight. It was... there was no other description for the creature... a beast. It was walking on two legs and was wearing shredded clothes, but it was some kind of creature nonetheless. Covered in fur, claws at the ends of its paws, horns and tusks. It was terrifying and made Castiel want to run away but all he could do was press his body further into the wall. It was... Dean? "Is this what you wanted? You've seen the horrible monster that roams the forest in the countryside, the beast all your hunters have tried and failed to kill. You yourself have probably tried to hunt me down."

"I'm no hunter," Castiel blurted. Even if he was a prisoner, he couldn't seem to have someone get the wrong idea about him. "But you said you were part of a royal family? How did you... you know?"

"A story for another time." The creature, Dean, backed away. "For now, let me show you to your room."

"My room? But I thought-"

Dean let out a noise from deep in his throat that could only be called a growl. "Do you want to stay locked in this cell?"

Castiel's heart pounded so loud Dean could probably hear it. "N-no." He knew he shouldn't trust the creature, but he didn't have many options. And he couldn't help but notice how human, and how sad, the creature's eyes were. That made it just a bit easier to follow him out of the tower.

Dean showed Castiel through the dusty castle, telling him to make himself at home and only warning not to go into the west wing. Castiel didn't want to tell Dean that there was no way in hell that he'd be comfortable in his prison, so he stayed quiet until the reached a large ornate door.

"This is you." Dean shuffled around like he was nervous. "Ms. Harvelle is preparing dinner right now, if you'd like to join me."

"I'd like to be alone."

Dean's too-human eyes narrowed. "I see."

Castiel expected an order to have dinner with the Beast. He expected to be punished for disrespecting the master of the castle. Instead, the door was slammed in his face, and he was left alone.

He lay on the large bed, coughing as dust rose into the air. It was obvious that no one had been to the castle in a long time. Combined with the fact that it was so well hidden in the forest, it wasn't a surprise that the townspeople didn't know about it. They only knew about the beast that haunted the forest. The castle was so out of the way, in fact, that it had to have been built with the idea of seclusion in mind. Castiel didn't know how his papa had stumbled on the front gates.

The thought of his papa, possibly dying in the snow, made him cry harder than he ever had before. It hadn't been very long since his papa had left. He didn't know how he'd make it through the sentence Dean had created. He didn't even know how long he was going to be held here. He could be held here until he died, and there was no way he could escape. The only exit he knew of was the front doors, and he couldn't make it there without the Beast knowing.

Just this morning, Castiel was dreaming of his life in Paris and his freedom from the small minded villagers. Now he wasn't sure if he'd ever be free from his room. What he would give to have those problems again. He'd do anything to be safe at home with his papa. Even marry Meg.

Castiel didn't know if he was crying for his papa, himself, his lost freedom, or the idea of marrying Meg. Whatever it was made his tears continue until he felt exhausted and dehydrated.

It was long after dark when Castiel regretted that offer for dinner. His stomach growled loudly and with no one else around to assist, he decided to find the kitchens on his own. Maybe he could get some leftovers from dinner. It didn't take long before he could smell something delicious. Some voices, however, stopped him in his tracks.

Two of them sounded like the men from earlier, but there was an addition of a female voice as well.

The angry one, Benjamin, was already speaking. "-understand why he insists on keeping the boy around. It's not like he's of any use to us."

"He's lonely. The master hasn't seen another person since before this all happened. Let him have his company." That was the other man. This one seemed more sympathetic. He would be the one Castiel could convince to help him.

"Well, I don't see why he can't be in the company of a nice young lady," the woman said. "It's like the master doesn't even care about the curse anymore."

"It's because he doesn't, Ellen," Benjamin huffed. "He's accepted his fate, along with ours. There's not much we can do unless a woman decides to storm into this castle within the next few months."

"So are we just supposed to entertain this new toy of the master's? Let him play pretend like he's still a child?" The woman, Ellen, seemed just as unhappy as Benjamin. Castiel had a feeling it had to do with the master and this curse they mentioned. Yesterday Castiel wouldn't have believed in curses, but he also wouldn't have believed in beasts who talked like people and had such sad eyes. Today he could believe anything.

The other man sighed. "Our loyalty is still to the prince." The prince? Does that mean that the Beast... that Dean was a prince? "This curse doesn't change our jobs."

Ellen scoffed. "Adam, I'm glad your loyalty hasn't changed, but I have a daughter who won't grow up because this so-called-"

Castiel accidentally leaned a bit too much on the door he was listening at, making it screech open. He swallowed nervously as he walked into the kitchen. "I'm sorry to interrupt, I-" He looked around, frowning. There wasn't anyone here. The table was cleared all but a tea pot, clock, and candelabra. Castiel was about to leave when he saw the clock's face design move. Then the rest of it moved. It's face was actually a face. It was blinking and walking and- Oh God. The candelabra and tea pot also acted like they were alive, coming to the edge of the table to confront Castiel. He was hyperventilating, sure he was losing his mind.

"I see our lovely master didn't fill in his toy on everything," the clock said. The clock just talked to Castiel. It was the same voice as earlier, Benjamin.

The tea pot whistled a little, almost like a laugh. "Did you really expect him to?" That was Ellen.

So that meant the candelabra was the other man. Adam. "Shut up, you two. You are scaring him." It- or he- hopped toward Castiel. "What can we do for you, mon ami?"

Castiel wasn't exactly okay with the candle stick talking to him, but he needed to ask someone for dinner. It might as well be the living furniture. "I was wondering if I could have something to eat."

"The master wanted you to join him for dinner," Ellen said.

Adam ignored her. "We can absolutely get you some dinner."

Benjamin jumped from the table, landing on the stone floor with a clatter. "If you two wish to help the toy and provoke the Beast, be my guest. I'll have no part of this."

"Adam, I won't do this either. I still wish to be human again, and this isn't helping." Ellen hopped from table to chair to floor. "You know what trouble will be caused if the boy stays."

Adam gave me a smile. "Ah, don't listen to them, child. How about we get you some soup?"

•••

Castiel finished eating but hesitated to go back to his room. He found Adam's company to be comforting, which he couldn't believe he was admitting. His best company was a candle. It was still better than most of the townspeople; at least the candle could hold a conversation.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did all of this happen?" Castiel pushed aside his bowl, suddenly wondering if it too was alive. When it seemed to be inanimate, he continued. "The woman mentioned that she wanted to be human again, so something must have happened to make you... not human."

Adam came to the edge of the table and sat as best as a candelabra could. "My master had to find the curious one, yes?" He sighed. "This castle was cursed long ago. So long that many of us have become bitter. It's been difficult to keep hope alive and even more to not blame the prince for all of this."

"But what happened?"

"That is not my story to tell. Besides, after almost a decade, the story feels more like a legend than history."

 _Almost ten years,_ Castiel thought. _No wonder everyone seemed so unhappy_. "Am I really getting in the way of breaking this curse?"

"Ah, there are certain _rules_ to break this particular curse, and some feel the master will be so distracted by you that he won't be able to fix everything. But don't worry; I don't think you can change the path we're on either way. The master wouldn't be able to fix this before time is up anyways." Adam snuffed out one of his candles. "Some of us always knew that." He looked up, a bright smile on his metal face. "Off to bed with you. I'm sure the master will wish for you to join him for breakfast."

Castiel knew he should go back to his room, but his curiosity about the forbidden west wing had been growing since Dean had mentioned it. So when he left the kitchens, he headed straight for the west wing.

The dusty halls were silent and dark, just a light coming from an open door at the end of the corridor. At first, Castiel wondered why this wing was off limits but realized soon enough. Overturned furniture and shredded tapestries and paintings covered the far end of the hall, the destruction growing as he neared the door.

One particular painting caught his eye. A boy with a golden hair and kind green eyes smiled down at him from the crooked frame. Large shredded gaps in the canvas made the image difficult to see, but Castiel was certain this was the prince when he was just a teenager, maybe only twelve or thirteen. There was no mistaking those eyes of Dean's.

Castiel pulled himself from the picture, suddenly feeling sorry for the prince. He shook that thought from his mind, though. Adam said they were cursed, so there had to be a reason. Maybe Dean didn't deserve his sympathy.

He moved into the last room, the one with a glowing light pouring out of it. Pushing open the door, he saw that the light was coming from moon shining through the open terrace doors and a strange flower sitting directly in front of them. Castiel felt himself being drawn to the flower, the blood red rose he realized. It stood in a solitary crystal vase, half its petals already fallen onto the table. He touched the velvet petals that still looked new, even though they had fallen from the rose. Reaching for the flower, Castiel remembered the game he used to play when he still lived in England and the only ones he could tell about his crush on the boy who would lend him books were the flowers he plucked petals from. He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he-

"What are you doing?"

Castiel turned quickly to the voice, bumping against the table and just barely catching the vase as it fell. One petal dropped onto the pile before the vase was grabbed from his hands.

"You- you idiot! Do you know what you could've done?"

"I'm sorry," Castiel whimpered. The rage in the prince's eyes, his low growling, the way he towered over Castiel's small frame. He could see why Benjamin called him the Beast.

"Get out," he demanded, though his voice was a steely calm.

"But I-"

"Get out!"

And Castiel was running. 

•••

Castiel didn't know where he was going. While Gabriel could remember the way back to Papa, he couldn't find his way home through all the snow that had started sometime after they left. At this rate, they would freeze to death before they made their way back to the village. Still, Castiel had to hope. He couldn't give up because this was his only chance to see his papa again.

Gabriel slowed down, so Castiel urged him forward. "Come on, we need to get home. Please, Gabriel, we'll be fine." Then he heard a branch break and saw the form of a large wolf come through the hazy white blankness. "Go, Gabriel!"

Neither Castiel nor Gabriel knew where they were going. All they knew was that they had to escape the pack of wolves that grew behind them. They just ran and ran and-

"We lost them," Castiel breathed. He was ready to celebrate when he heard the growling and yelping of the wolves. Only they weren't coming after him. They seemed to be fighting something. Castiel's curiosity got the better of him yet again. Perhaps his need for adventure was actually a death wish. He tugged on the reins. "Let's take a look." Gabriel hesitated, understandably, but followed Castiel's guidance.

After a moment, a large shadow came into sight and collapsed in front of Castiel. "Dean?" He was bleeding. His clothes were torn into pieces, and he was completely unconscious. Castiel quickly climbed down, trying to tell if the prince was still alive. When he saw that he was still breathing, he knelt Gabriel down and pulled Dean onto his back. He was going to get the prince back to his castle, hopefully before the storm killed all of them.

•••

"Oh, good. You're awake."

Dean moaned but slowly opened his eyes. "Castiel?" He looked around groggily, finding that he was in the sitting room by the fire. "You saved me."

"Well, you saved me first. I couldn't just let you die out there."

"You could've." Dean didn't say anything else, though he wanted to tell Castiel that he should've let him die.

"That's not the kind of person I am." He started gathering things to clean the prince's wounds. "And I suppose neither are you. Why did you come after me? You told me to leave."

"I knew you would die if I didn't."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Dean almost smiled at that. Just a small lift of the corner of his mouth, not enough to show his teeth. It reminded Castiel of the way his stubborn horse would whinny at him, almost like he was laughing and smirking. "No. You said you weren't a hunter. You don't know these forests, especially in the snow. I told you to leave, not to die."

"How kind," Castiel replied evenly. He wasn't sure if he should be grateful. "Hold still."

He dipped the cloth he tore from his apron into the antiseptic he found while the prince was unconscious. It had to be a decade old, but Castiel had to hope it was still effective. "What are you- Ow!" Dean shouted when Castiel touched the fabric to one of his wounds, jerking away from Castiel.

"I told you to hold still."

"That burned!"

Castiel rolled his eyes. "You were attacked by wolves, but you complain about a little antiseptic. Stop being a child."

"How dare you-"

"I could let your wounds get infected and you can die, if you wish." Dean made a grumbling sound but didn't protest further. "That's what I thought." Castiel looked up at the creature in front of him. He was too animalistic to resemble the boy he saw in the portrait, but he could imagine what he would look like as a man. A strong jaw like the town's butcher, the high cheekbones of royalty, those freckles from his childhood that would only darken in the summertime, and those green eyes that made the Beast look too human. When those eyes fell onto Castiel, he found himself looking back to the wounds on Dean's shoulder, his face heating up. "What happened to you?"

"You said it yourself; I was attacked by wolves."

"No, I mean the curse."

Dean's muscles tensed up, but he answered Castiel's question. "When I was a boy, I was with a handful of servants on a vacation of sorts. My parents sent me away frequently when there was trouble in the kingdom or between them, so I would come to the countryside to hunt. It was the middle of the night, and a storm had woken me up so I was wandering in the castle. A beggar knocked on the door, wanting to spend the night in exchange for a rose, but I turned them away, even though the storm could have killed them." Dean closed his eyes, and Castiel paused, his cloth resting on his lap. "I remember thinking that this person was crazy. There were groups who wanted to kill my family, and this beggar looked like one of them. I jumped to conclusions and decided that I couldn't trust this person based on their appearance. Well the beggar was actually an enchantress who decided to punish me for those conclusions. She cursed me and told me that appearances are not what they seem and that beauty lies within a person. If I learned that and..." Dean shook his head sadly. "If not, I would be cursed forever. And I will be."

"But there's a way to break the curse."

"It's not just learning a lesson on appearances, Castiel. To break the curse, something impossible has to happen. I've always known that this curse would remain unbroken when that rose loses its last petal and my time is up."

"I'm very sorry. You don't deserve this."

"I do. I was an ungrateful child who had everything but demanded more. I was selfish and didn't know kindness."

"But you were just a child. Everyone is ungrateful at that age." Castiel went back to Dean's wounds. "You and your servants should not have been cursed because you didn't let a stranger into your home. I wish I could do something to help."

Dean looked down at the small man, knowing there was nothing either could do to break the curse. The enchantress was very clear on her rules. And Dean knew that finding a woman who could love a Beast would be hard, but finding a woman he could love would be impossible.

•••

Weeks passed and Dean and Castiel spent more time together. Both men felt they should thank the other for saving their life, and things started changing after that night. Dean's appearance began to soften. His fur thinned, his teeth seemed to lose their sharpness, and he seemed to grow shorter. It was as if his humanity was showing through his beastly image. While Dean couldn't see this, his servants and Castiel could. They also saw how Dean began acting nicer to everyone after he almost died. Castiel was sure it was only because Dean felt like he owed him. But it was more than that. They ate their meals together and talked by the fire and took walks in the snow. Castiel told himself that he was still there because he wouldn't be able to find his way home until the snow cleared and that he wanted to treat Dean's wounds fully. But in all honesty, Castiel no longer felt like a prisoner. Dean started referring to Castiel as a guest long ago, and Castiel felt less like a hostage every day.

It was after Dean showed Castiel the library and told him that everything in that giant room was his that Castiel felt something inside him that he hadn't felt in a long time. But looking over at the prince who had been so kind to him and had given him an entire world in the form of books, Castiel knew he was falling for this man. It was like he could see the person Dean was under the Beast, that person who seemed to show himself a little more each day. It was a bit alarming to say the least. He was sure he wouldn't feel this way for another man again. But here he was, reading to a prince trapped in a curse and wishing he could free him.

Castiel wondered what could've happened if the enchantress never found her way to the castle. Would they have still met or would their lives have gone in two different directions?

"Why did you stop reading, Castiel?"

Dean's ear twitched, but he kept his head resting on his arms he crossed on the table. Castiel smiled at how the action was so animalistic yet the question was so human. "Sorry. I was lost in thought." Something had changed, and not just how the prince looked. That tug in his chest when he talked with Dean and the way they accepted each other as they were and how Castiel just wanted to be able to feel the way he did. Something was there now, and Castiel wondered how he didn't see it before. "Where was I?"

•••

The winter months passed as well, and Castiel still found himself at the castle. Something kept him from leaving, and it wasn't his sentence everyone had forgotten about. Dean was still a Beast, but he looked more human than he had in a decade. While he couldn't pass for a regular person in town, even he could see the change. No one had an explanation for it. Some servants began to think the curse was fading, but most thought their master was just changing into a more permanent cursed figure. They saw the progress as a sign of their end. Even the most hopeful knew the curse couldn't be broken so close to the rose's death. There were just two petals remaining.

•••

Castiel was outside in the garden one morning, planting flowers to brighten up the castle for the spring, when he heard voices coming through the courtyard. He recognized them as servants, one was Benjamin but he couldn't pinpoint the other.

"Another petal was lost today, Benjamin. What will happen when the other falls as well?"

"I don't know. Perhaps we'll stay like this forever. Perhaps we'll lose our ability to speak or move. Perhaps we'll finally be put out of our misery. All I know is that we will never be human again."

"And the master?"

"He'll remain a Beast or will become a monster. Either way, I fear he'll lose the last of his humanity. He'll become an animal that will be hunted down until he's just a trophy in a tavern somewhere."

"You sound sorry for him."

Benjamin laughed. "I suppose I am. The bastard finally learned to love another, but we remain cursed on a technicality."

"I only hope the boy will leave before he gets hurt. If the master would lose control after the last petal, it would destroy him more than any curse."

Their conversation drifted to Ellen's daughter who was convinced she would become human when the last petal fell, and Castiel was glad that he couldn't hear them after much longer.

He dropped the flowers he was planting and ran to the west wing where he'd only ever been once before. Dean didn't like the dusty old wing anymore, but he would be there if another petal had fallen. And he was.

"Dean," Castiel said softly, not sure what else to say. He was sitting on the floor in front of the wilted rose.

"It's almost over. The last petal will fall any day now."

"I'm sorry. If I could do something, I would. I don't know what to do, though."

Dean put his head in his hands. "I don't know what will happen now. I thought I was ready, but I'm afraid. I fear for all of us who lost our lives because I was a stupid kid." He looked up at Castiel who took that as an invitation to sit with him. "I don't want you here."

"What?"

"When the petal falls, I want you to be home with your papa. You haven't seen him in so long, and that's my fault too. You never should have stayed here. You should have went home with him."

"I'll admit the beginning wasn't the best, but I've loved staying here with you. Getting to know you has been the greatest adventure I could ask for. And I don't want to leave."

"I don't want to hurt you, Castiel."

He smiled, resting his hand on Dean's hand-like paw. "I trust that you won't."

"And I don't want you to see me as a true Beast." Dean reached out to touch Castiel but wouldn't let himself. "Please go back home."

"I don't want to lose you, Dean. I can't just leave."

Dean handed him a silver mirror that he had nearby like it was always his plan to send Castiel away. "Take this. It's enchanted so you can see anything you want. I used it to see my family when I was younger, but I want you to have it now. Go study in Paris and use it when you miss your papa."

Castiel started crying. "How?" He didn't know what he was asking. _How can I leave you? How can you make me leave? How can I tell you how I feel? How can I live a normal life after you? How can I keep you? How can I break this curse?_

Dean took that as _How do I work the mirror?_ "Just ask. Show me Chuck Shirley."

Castiel's reflection faded to show his papa in a dark room. Castiel tried to make out where he was, but all he could see were metal bars. "Mirror, where is he?" The image changed to show the outside of the asylum, and Castiel almost dropped the mirror. "Why is Papa in the asylum? He's not crazy! I- I have to-"

Dean touched his face, finally letting himself cross the line he wouldn't before. "You have to go. I'll never forget you, Castiel. No curse could take you from me."

"I won't forget you either."

He was reluctant to leave, but he knew he had to free his papa. With just the mirror and a riding cloak, Castiel left the castle. As he led Gabriel out of the stables, Adam called his name.

"Are you leaving?"

"It's Papa, Adam. I wouldn't leave now if it wasn't important."

"Thank you for keeping us human, Castiel. Go help your papa."

The whole ride back to the village, Castiel watched Dean through the mirror and cried. His heart broke having to leave him. He'd give anything to stay. 

•••

It was dark when Castiel made it to the asylum. "Monsieur D'arque?"

"Castiel?"

Castiel tied Gabriel outside and followed Meg's voice inside. "What are you doing here?"

"I was visiting Monsieur Shirley." She looked almost as shocked as Castiel felt. "He's been quite ill over the past months and doesn't get many visitors. We've been getting to know each other." She frowned. "We were both under the assumption that you were dead. What happened to you? Where have you been all this time?"

"I was with... a friend. Please, Meg, my papa is not crazy. He must be released."

"He was claiming a beast took you prisoner in a castle and would kill you. Castiel, he is not well."

"I can take care of him now that I'm home. I just need to convince D'arque to let me take him back to our cottage."

She hesitated, perhaps thinking it over. "I'll help you-"

"Thank you."

"-if you marry me."

Castiel took a step back. "No. I didn't love you before, and I don't love you now. I won't marry you."

"Not even for your dear papa?" She feigned concern. "Who knows how long the old man will last in here?"

"I love someone else, Meg. I won't marry you, and I will convince D'arque without your help."

Meg stepped in front of Castiel. "And how do you plan to do that? The Monsieur won't listen to a boy who returned from the dead and who should be in this very asylum himself. Chuck will stay locked away until I have you, whether you love me or not."

Castiel shouldered past her. "I don't need your permission or approval. I just need D'arque."

"He's not here, Castiel. And he won't be returning for days."

Castiel smiled at that. Something was finally going his way. "Great. He won't miss Papa then."

Meg tried to grab his arm, but Castiel moved before she could. "You won't take him."

"I'd like to see you stop me."

"You can't keep Chuck safe. I will find him when D'arque returns, and I'll lock you both away."

"You're right, Meg. I can't hide from you, and I can't keep my papa safe." Castiel smiled wickedly, his eyes a bit too crazed from his months away from human contact. "But my Beast can."

And Castiel walked away, down into the dark halls of the asylum, and picked the lock on his papa's cell. Meg was gone when they left the building, perhaps warning the town about the crazy Shurleys who needed to be locked away. One cried about a terrible Beast, yet the other had a fondness for that very creature. They risked the safety of the whole village. Castiel didn't wait for them to find them though. He rode with his papa back to the castle.

When Chuck recognized where they were going, he tried to stop Gabriel. "We can't go back there, Castiel. That Beast will kill us both."

But Castiel was determined. He pushed Gabriel forward, not giving his papa much of an explanation. "I just need to do something at the castle. Gabriel will take you to Paris, and I'll meet you there when it's safe."

"How will you get there without Gabriel?"

"I'll figure that out later." He wiped the tears from his face before his papa saw, hoping he wasn't too late, hoping he could see his prince one last time. They reached the castle's gates sooner than Castiel thought possible, but he didn't waste time thinking about it. He jumped from Gabriel's back and ran through the gates, not even making sure Papa was gone.

"Dean!" he shouted from the door. He ran to the west wing where Dean still sat on the floor. He hadn't moved in the hours Castiel was away. Dean had given up. He lost the one thing he still cared about, so he was just waiting for the petal to fall to take away his mind and the pain of watching the man he loved leave. "Dean."

"Castiel? You came back. What about your papa?"

Castiel breathlessly fell to the floor. "He's safe. Are you alright?"

"Of course. But Castiel, why are you here?"

He reached for Dean's hand. "You told me to go home. Well I'm here. And I don't care if I could get hurt when the curse solidifies. I need to be here with you because this is where I belong. I belong here with you." He bit his lip. "Wrong as it may be, I can't leave you. Not when I care so much about you."

"Then stay." 

•••

When Castiel awoke the next morning, he refused to open his eyes. He'd fallen asleep on Dean after he curled up on the rug like a cat, and he was afraid to see what the curse had done to him. He could feel the rise and fall of his chest, so he knew Dean was alive at the very least. Finally he looked at the rose, seeing that the flower was reduced to just a stem. Castiel let out a stifled cry, one that woke up Dean.

He refused to look when Dean yawned, a low gravelly sound. "Castiel?" At least he could still talk. "My Lord. Castiel, the curse."

"I know, the rose is gone."

"No." A soft hand touched his cheek and turned his face. "The curse is." Castiel could only stare at the man in front of him. He wasn't a Beast. He wasn't some type of half-man, half-Beast. He was human. He was Dean. He was beautiful. Dean didn't look quite how Castiel imagined, but he still had those freckles from his portrait and the cheekbones of royalty. And his eyes. Castiel covered his mouth, trying not to cry and not being able to look away from Dean. "I didn't think it would work. I thought you wouldn't feel the same way about me. I- I thought it had to be a girl. The enchantress was very clear that a girl had to love me, so I never thought-" Dean pulled Castiel into an embrace. "Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me."

Castiel was still speechless. The curse was broken. Even though everyone though it couldn't be done. Even though Dean didn't love a woman. Even though a woman didn't love him.

Dean loved Castiel. Even after Castiel told himself he'd never feel this way about another man again, he loved Dean. And their live was enough to break a curse.

Without thinking, Castiel kissed Dean, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Thank you for giving me the story I always wanted. I love you, Dean."

Dean beamed at him. "And I love you, Castiel."


End file.
